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First impressions of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
A great pilot should, obviously, want me to come back for more. I've always been fond of the pilot episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, for its odd blend of action (the revisiting of Wolf 359) and philosophy (a discussion of linear time with aliens that exist outside of it) that made it seem like it would be more than just a Next Generation cast off. More recently, the pilot for Sleepy Hollow grabbed me just because of Tom Mison's dry, witty performance as Ichabod Crane. It doesn't take much for me to give a show a chance, but Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. gave me very little. There's a lot of potential -- a Whedon-produced TV series set in Marvel's comic universe with Clark Gregg returning as Agent Coulson is hard to imagine going wrong, but the pilot was just ok. It wasn't great. →
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Review of Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing
In retrospect, I'm not sure why I thought I'd enjoy Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing. Sure, it's directed by Joss Whedon, and stars most of my favourite actors from the Whedon stable, but it's still a Shakespeare comedy with all the comic sophistication of an episode of Miranda. →
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Review of Joss Whedon’s The Avengers
I've enjoyed the Marvel films. They've been, with the exception of the plodding Iron Man 2, dependable, enjoyable popcorn flicks. The appealing presence of Robert Downey Jr. helped make an A-list character out of Iron Man, I have a soft spot for The Incredible Hulk, Captain America was a little forgettable but bolstered by a great cast and Thor, despite my initial scepticism, turned out to be my favourite of the lot. There was never anything in this line-up likely to challenge the more cerebral and serious The Dark Knight but that's ok; Marvel comics have always had a lighter tone than DC, and it's a testament to Marvel that they resisted the urge to Nolanify most of their properties. →